DUNEDIN CITY MISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 49

DUNEDIN CITY MISSION.

The annual meeting of the Dunedin City Mission was held in the 'Y.W.C. Association Rooms on Monday evening. Mr G. M. Thomson (president) occupied the chair, and expressed his gratification at seeing a somewhat larger attendance than usual. Apologies were offered for the absence of the Revs. Messrs Bannerman, North, Curzon-Siggers, Mesa's Rosevear, Don, Wilkinson and Captain Thomson.

With sincerest thanks to God for His mercy and grace during the past year, the committee have pleasure in presenting their fourth annual report and balance sheet.

In February, 1896, at a representative meeting held to discuss the matter, it was suggested by Rev. Dr WaddelL, and unanimously agreed to: (1) That the City Mission so long carried on by the late James Macfie should be re-organ-ised, and that Mr Duncan "Wright, whose experiences in such work now extends over a quarter of a centiuy in this city, should be employed. Although undertaken with some degree of trepidation as to permanency, the committee have from the first been well supported by the moral sympathy and mateiial aid of the public, and increasingly do they fesl that such an agency was, and is, needed in our city. After making inquiry, the committee, who represent various sections of the Chuich of God, are also confident that much — very much — requires to be done morally and spiritually, and that overlapping or clashing with churches or other agencies, is a very distant contingency. Not a few persons in the community are indeed of opinion that there is ample room for even more workers. Through the kindness of the editors of the Otago Daily Times and Witness, the Evening Star, and the Christian Outlook, paragraphs appeared regularly as to the monthly meetings of committee, together with the missionary's monthly notes. The committee feel that lengthened details are hardly required. The committee have always believed that a brief narrative of facts should constantly be brought under the notice of their friends and constitueats, the public.

1. The Matter of Visitation. — During the past 12 months our missionary has, as usual, been brought into contact with very many persons in different pprts of the city and subuibs who are old and poor and feeble, and cannot possibly attend any religious services; to these people words of Scripture and prayer are most acceptable. He has also ministered to sick and dying ones, and assisted to lay some m their last resting-place. At the present time our missionary has on his list about 30 aged people, who are pleased to see him, and receive from his lips words of hope and cheer. Quite apa;t from its political significance, he gladly attests the fact that the old-age pension has been a boon and a blessing to many. There are, no doubt, cases of lea) poverty and dire distress, but through the help of the Benevolent Institution, the kindness of the various church organisations, and quiet individual efforts, these cases usually aie only of a brief and temporary character. And so far as our missionary is concerned, he has, we believe, never appealed for help for deserving persons and been refused. He also visits special cases and the various public instiUxtions as occasion requires.

2. Sunday School Visitation. — Having again been elected visitor to the Sunday Schools of the Union in the city and suburbs, Mr Wright has on Sunday afternoons and week-days addressed or assisted the -following: — Mornington, "Walkei street, North Dunedin, Ravenscliffe, Pelichet Bay, Leith street, Voodhaugh, Industrial School, Kaikorai, Cavershani, St. Andrew's, Great King street, ftoslyn, Knox Church, Hanover street, Tabernacle, Duudas street, Clinton, Garrison Hall, Moray place, Trinity, .Sampden, Palmersfco.i, All Saints', St.Matthew's, St. Paul's. Everywhere he hns been well received by superintendents, teachers, and scholars, and although occasionally a little exacting, the work has been pleasant and congenial.

3. Evangelistic and Other Services. — Although greatly in love with all evangelistic and aggressive efforts, our missionary feels that if, regretfully, he declines applications for assistance, it is mainly because Dunedin has now the first and chief claim upon his time and services. In spite of the duties of the city direct, he has been able to assist in ordinary and special services and temperance work on Sabbaths and week-days at Chalmers' Church, Brighton, Saddle Hill, Kuri Bush, Knox Church, North-East Valley, Y.W.C.A. Rooms, Otakia, Dundas street Church, Dunback, Green Valley, Sailors' Rest, Hanover street week of prayer, Kaikorai, C.E. Rally (Knox Church), Lower Temperance Hall, Purakanui, Port Chalmers, Timaru, Stafford street Hall, Great .King street, Russell street Hall, Woodside, Wairuna, Mornmgton, the Octagon open-an services, Ea&t Taieri, Otautau, South Dunedin, Hampden, Palmerston, St.. Clair, etc. Irrespective of denominational distinction, our missionary assists all who. ask him if at all possible.

4. Russell street Mission Hall. — To the respected minister and office-bearers of First Church we still are obliged for the use, free of charge, of this comfortable building. Quite a number of elderly people are glad to attend this place on Sunday evenings, and thej' feel deeply indebted to the City Mission and to the missionaiy for these weekly gatherings. The attendance of young people is a special feature, and their behaviour excellent. A large number of musical friends have assisted at the organ, etc., and many experienced ministers, laymen, and devoted women have given addresses of an earnest and practical character. The free-will offerings for the jear- amounted to £13 3a 9d,

which is very sptisfactory, and the committee record grateful thanks.

5. Bible-reading Classes in State Schools. — "With the full approval of the committee, and we firmly believe with the sympathy also of a large number of parents and others in the community, Mr Wright has completed the fourth year of these classes. In face of many practical difficulties, some success has attended the effort. The averages for the year were : High street, 109 ; Union street, 117 ; Albany street, 110 ; George street, 1 OG ; Arthur street, 105 ; which means that for every school day there was a general average of 109 pupils hear.ng and reading the Word of God. The aggregate attendance was close upon 20,000. Without the assistance of headmasters, teachers, and others who have assisted in various ways, these results could not have been reached. Messages of an encouraging kind have repeatedly been sent u> our missionary by grateful parents, and school committees have been most sympathetic and helpful. All that Mr Wright pleads for is an open door and fair play. The effort was never meant to be a solution of a great pioblem; friends of the cause should not, therefore, overestimate its worth, and critics need not minimise either the past or the future. Quantities of wholesome literature, cards, Testaments, Bibles, etc., etc., to the value of fully £10, have been put into circulation. The fifth session of these classes has been commenced, and we seek for the missionary and helpers continued cooperation. Higher numbers, greater efficiency, better order, larger results, will this year be aimed at.

Finance. — ¥c are strongly of opinion that to unbiassed readers of this report at least two things will be veiy apparent: (1) That our missionary has had a busy year; and (2) that the mission has not been carried on extravagantly. The balance sheet shows that the total income for the year was JEI7B 5s 3d, and the expenditure £172 0s 4d, leaving a credit balance of JE6 4s lid.

At our annual meeting, held 12 nionths ago, the following resolution was carried: — "That this meeting do heartily thank all those who have, in town and country, assisted in many ways, and heartily commend the Dunedin City Mission and its agent to the continued sympathy of the several churches, Sunday Schools, C.E. Societies, and private individuals, as being worthy of support and encouragement. ' The balance sheet shows how far this sppeal has been responded to. In these days of national excitement and unparalleled liberality, we sincprely trust our City Mission and its claims may not be over looked. To all subscribers, the business iirm who again sent their offering of £20, and the grateful mother who gave 2s alike, the committee tender warmest thanks.

Thanks. — The committee desire again to thank: (1) Messrs Fergxisson and Mitchell, who printed the annual renort etc., free of charge : (2) the manager of the N.Z. Bible, Tract, and Book Society for the free iise of the board room for their monthly meetings ; (3) the chinches, Sabbath Schools, Christian Endeavour Societies, etc., which have assisted us financially; li) Mrs Pollock and A .Y. Smart for valued heln at the Mission Hall in "Etussell street ; (5) Dr Fiilton, for his kindness in visiting, free of charge, persons in bodily distress, etc., when requested by our missionary; and (6) Mr J. Braithwaite, for his gift of Bibles, etc.

The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the annual report, said it was a record of the pious work clone during the year. They had seen the whole community swept along by a wave of patriotic fervour, which had been referred to by Or Nicholson in his prayer, and they seemed in some respects to have lost their heads over it. It was a wave that had swept over the whole of the British people, and would in time, he hoped, bring purity and quiet when the present trouble was past. It would, he trusted, cause the people of these nationalities to be knit together in a common bond, and cause them to recognise the responsibilities which lay upon them to do their duty to the people in the world at large in true justice and in right. A large amount of work bad been done in the mission during the past year by their missionary, Mr Wright. Dealing with the report, he (the chairman) thought the most important clause in it was the first. Their missionary had been very busy, visiting and comforting old, poor, and feeble persons of various religious beliefs. They were all aware that the community had of late been exceptionally prosperous from a commercial point of view ; but, in spite o-f this, and the fact that the population had increased, there had been no corresponding increase in the interest taken in religioxis matters, nor had there been any occasion to increase church accommodation. ' Only the previous night he was surprised — he would not say shocked — to see the number of people strolling about the streets. With the increased 1 prosperity he had referred to, those requiring visitation had not prospered, and it seemed to him that times of commercial prosperity and timep of spiritual fervour did not go together. He would mention one case in point. There was a very considerable amount of drunkenness about, and he thought that when there was, more money to spend that vice increased iv intensity. If there was more prosperity there were more gave way to this vice of drinking. In, the face of the increased population, there wa's certainly no^ increased accommodation in the churches required, and there was certainly an increase in the work of the- City Mission. If that was true a few yours ago, it was increasingly true at the pre-ent ri.w : jand it was necessary that this work rhoalrl ':3 constantly and steadily carried on. Th?ir Wcsdeyan friends bod a mission, p-i they knew, arid had carried it on under Sifter Ruth. .They all rejoiced at the succpss that had followed that work, but there was room for a great deal more, to be done, and they could not undertake it. If the}" looked at the balance sheet they would see they had a very small credit balance, and they had been generously supported. They must double their' revenue before they could increase their working arrangements. There was one part of the work that was not satisfactory. The attendance at the classes Mr Wright carried on at the schools wa« purely voluntary, and the classes had to meet before ordinary school hours or after them. There was considerable difficulty in getting the children together before school hours. The mothers had to be consulted, and then after five hours' schooling the children, particularly the bigger boys, were not enthusiastic enough to attend a class. Ho hoped that something- in connection with Bible reading in schools would be brought about by the Council of Churches, and that the education system would be placed on a better footing than it was at the present time. Mr Thomson then proceeded to speak in grateful terms of the manner in which the pres3 assisted the mission, and in the same connection mentioned the names of Messrs Fergusson and Mitcbvil. Mr Braithwaite, and Dr Fulton.

Tlie Rev. J. Gibb seconded the motion for the adoption of the report. The success which had attended the mission justified its initiation, and the speaker thought they had got just the right sort of man for the work in Mr Duncan "Wright. The chairman was inclined, he thought, to take a gloomy view of things. He could not agree with him that there was an increase in the non-church-going community. He had been 14 years i& Dunedin, and the population had not increased to any great extent. If there had

boon any increase it had been during : % ° last two or three years, and there had . :.n a considerable accession to the churches. The chairman had referred to the great work carried on by the Wesleyans in the Garrison Hall, so they had not been altogether stagnant. With regard to the Council of Churches, of which body he was a member, dealing- with the question of Bible-reading in schools, he was a Scotchman, and therefore he would say, " I hae ma' doots " ; but perhaps reason and common sense would penetraie the craniums of our legislators yet.

The motion was carried unanimously,

Mr ' A. C. Begg moved, Mr Gray seconded, and it was carried — " That this meeting accords, 'hearty thanks to the churches, Sunday schools, and private individuals who have so generously assisted financially during the year, and anew commends the City Mission and its agents to tlie thoughtful consideration of the public as being worthy of sympathy and encouragement."

The Rev. J. M. Fraser moved—'- That this public meeting desires to record its approval and appreciation of the reading of .Holy Scripture by Mr Wrighl and, his helpers in the State schools of the city; its pleasure at the measure of success which has for four years attended the effort, and, in view of many practical difficulties, would earnestly urge the continued and active co-operation of parents and headmasters."

Mrs Don seconded the motion

The Rev.- Mr Borrie was in entire sympathy with the motion, which did not, however, in his opinion, go far enough. He • thought, instead of one city missionary, they should have two or three, and one for the south suburbs and one for the north. Ha strongly advocated Bible-reading in schools • within school hours, but would not move any amendment.

The motion was carried without diFsent

Mr F. Graham moved, the Rev. J. "Waters seconded, and it was resolved — " That this meeting expresses its thanks to the committee (and specially to Mr Rosevear., the hon. treasurer) for their serviced during the past year, and resolve that the following be re-elected tc offee: — Mess-rs George M. Thomson, H. E. Sbacklook. Gsorse Reid, -Tohn A. D. Adams, Joseph BraithwaitP. W j.iara Hutchison, Daniel Smith, Ernest Rosseveor, Ca-ptain Wni. Thomson : and that the name of Mr Petei Dick be added.'-'

The Rev. Mr Brooke also addressed the meeting, during the holding of which music was supplied by a choir under the leadership of Mr R. T. Wheeler, jun.